If student fees rise, so should student grants

THE issue of university fees ought not to be determined in isolation from student grants.

Perhaps we may agree on the following points if we are to make progress on this contentious matter.

- The abolition of university fees has failed in its main aim of increasing the numbers of Irish children from poor homes in our universities.

- Grants for students in our universities are woefully inadequate.

- Working-class taxpayers cannot be expected to finance students from wealthy homes in our universities any more than they can be expected to finance the debts of bankers and property developers.

- Universities are labour-intensive institutions and expensive to run. It is difficult to see how they can be run efficiently and compete internationally without fees.

- Irish universities ought to be open to Irish people of talent in all levels of our society.

I conclude therefore that the question of fees cannot be resolved without concomitant measures to increase student grants.

These grants must be awarded on merit, however that may be determined at secondary level.

Gerald Morgan

The Chaucer Hub

Trinity College

Dublin 2